Polishing machine



May 18, 1937.

F; SCHENK PoLIsHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 1o, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 1 ETI'QQL...4| ILLIIIN 4 May -18, `1937. F. S'HENK 2,030,880

PoLIsl-IING MACHINE Filed Dec. 10, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet' 2 INVENTOR.

BY' l Patented May 18, 1937 UNITD ST'iES PLISHING MACHINE FriedrichSchenk, `lamaica, N. Y., assigner to E. Leitz, Inc., a' corporation ofNew York Application December 10, 1935, Serial No. 53,709

5 Claims.

This invention relates toimprovements in polishing machines for use iniaboratories and like places for the purpose of polishing metalspecimens for testing and research work. The object of the invention isto provide a generally improved polishing machine embodyingelectromagnetic means for holding th-e specimen against the polishingmedium and including such novel features of arrangement and constructionas will provide a selfcontained polishing unit. Other objects of theinvention will appear as this speciiication proceeds. Accordingly theinvention is embodied in a polishing machine arranged and constructed ashereinafter set forth and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich Fig. 1 is a top view of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a side View with parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a rear view.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail views of the polishing mechanism.

Fig. 'l is a wiring diagram.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine which shall be vacomplete polishing unit adapted to be moved about and operated by merelly connecting it to an electric circuit. The. machine therefore includespolishing elements and means for operating them so arranged that thepolishing operation may be carried out automatically and very rapidly.The machine has a general framework consisting of uprights forming legsi9, i9 which carry a top i! and shelves i2, i3, f4 and l5. The polishingmechanism corn-- prises a polishing disk I5 and a work holder il. Thepolishing disk is of iron and is covered with a fabric i8 removably heldin place by a ring i9, Figure 6. The disk is removably carried by a mainupright shaft 29 by means of a pin and slot connection as at 2l. Theshaft is suitably supported in the framework and carries a pulley 22 andis driven from a motor 23 which is part of a well known drivingmechanism known as avarispeed motor mechanism. This mechanism includes abase 24 in which the motor is slidably operated by means such asindicated at 25. A speed changing shaft 26 is employed to slide themotor 23 towards and away from the disk shaft 29. A belt passes over thepulley 22 and to another pulley 2'l driven by the motor 23. Themechanism is so arranged that when the motor is moved upon its base thespeed of the pulley 21 is automatically changed. For the purposes ofthis specification it is suicient to knowk that when the shaft 29 isturned by the operator by the handwheel 29 the speed of the main shaft2li and pulley 22 is changed to suit the polishing operation. A pointer30 isattached to the motor sliding means 25 and indicates the speed upona scale 3l The work holder Il' is in the forin.` of a thin plate havingopenings 32 to receive specimen holders of the type used in laboratoriesand indicated in Figure 4 at 33 to hold a specimen 34. The work holderis screwed on to a work holder shaft 35 which carries a bevel gear 3ddriven from another bevel gear 3l upon a horizontal shaft. The latter inturn is driven from an upright shaft 39 by means of bevel gears iii andlil. The shaft 39 is slidably connected to another upright shaft 42which is driven from a small motor i3 through g1 a suitable reducinggear mechanism M, Figure 3.

The workholder driving means are supported within a tubular casing i5and means are provided for lifting the lwork holder upwards away fromthe polishing disk i6 shown in Figure 4 and swing it in over the tabletop into an inactive position when the polishing operation has beencompleted. As seen in Figure 5 the shaft 39 is in slidable drivingconnection at d@ with the shaft 42 and is supported Within a bearingsleeve di. The latter has a slot 48 which ts over a pin 49 in a Xedbushing 50 secured to the table top il. In the position shown in Figure5 it is clear that the two shafts 39 and i12 are in operative drivingconnection and consequently the work holder Il is rotated by the drivingconnections 5 described. However, when the polishing operation has beencompleted, the operator takes hold of the casing and lifts the workholder away from the disk I6. The bearing sleeve 4l is secured to thecasing 45 and is therefore also lifted sliding on the pin 49 until it isabove said pin at which time the casing i5 is rotated and the workholder swung in over the. table as will be understood. The two shafts 39and 42 remain in driving connection because the vertical movement`necessary to bring the sleeve to rest above the pin 49 is less than themovement required to disconnect the two shafts. The rotation of the workholder driving shaft 42 isstopped by opening the switch 66 in theelectric circuit to the work holder motor 43. The reverse movement ofcourse places the work holder in working position.

The table top Il has a circular opening 52 through which the polishingdisk is lowered into operative position upon the shaft 20. Before thedisk is lowered there is placed in said opening a circular drain pan 53and after the disk has been placed, a circular splash ring 54 ispositioned within the opening 52. drain opening 55 which drains into avessel 56 The splash pan hasr a n through a rubber hose 5l, Figure 3.'Ihe table carries a hinged cover 58 adapted to be closed down over thework holder in its operating position. The table also carries a bottle59 for containing a suitable polishing liquid, for instance lavigatedaluminia. The liquid drips down upon the polishing disk by way of arubber hose 60 connected to an inlet 6I in the cover 58. 'I'he liquid isagitated by air being blown into the bottle from a small blower G2driven by the motor 43. 'Ihe air passes to the bottle through a rubberhose 63. Liquid is poured into the bottle 59 through a funnel 64. InFigure 1 the numerals 65 and 66 indicate switch levers and 68 theoperating knob of a rheostat 6.9L These parts are therefore in the frontof the machine. The shelves in the framework serve to support theseveral parts. Shelf I4 may support a transformer 1D if such is neededdepending upon the local current. Shelf I5 is convenient for storage. 1Iis an electromagnet supported on the shelf I2 in alinement with the workholder I1 when the latter is in operating position, Figure l.

In operation the work holder Il is moved from its normal inactiveposition and swung into its operative position above the polishing diskas shown in Figure 4, the. specimens to be polished having first beenplaced in the openings 32. It will be noted that the work holder plateII is screwed into the shaft 35 so that it may be exchanged for workholders of other design. 'I'he bottle 59 has of course been filled withpolishing liquid. The lid 58 is then closed and the outlet from thebottleopened. 'I'he operator then closes the switches 65 and 66 therebystarting the two motors and also closing the circuit through the magnet'II which may be regulated by the rheostat 69, Figure 7. 'During theoperation the specimens are drawn down against the polishing disk by themagnet 1I and the polishing is accomplished by the rotation of the diskI6 in one direction and the rotation of the work holder in the oppositedirection in an obvious manner. The polishing liquid is being agitatedby the air stream from the blower 62 and drops upon the fabric I8 andspreads by Centrifugal action. The splash pan 53 and splash ring 54catch the liquid between them as it is being thrown off from the diskI6. The operation is stopped from time to time to inspect the specimen.`Also at the start or at any time during the operation the speed of thepolishing disk may be adjusted by operating the hand wheel 29.

When the specimens have been polished they are removed and the machineis easily cleaned and put in order for the next operation because of thedetachability of the work holder, the splash pan and ring of thepolishing disk. The machine is highly efcient, self-contained andportable. It will further be understood that the invention is notlimited to the precise form shown but that changes and modications maybe made within the scope of the appended claims without departing fromthe principle of the invention.

I claim:-

1. A polishing machine including a framework, a polishing disk supportedtherein, means for suuplying polishing liquid to said disk, a vesselsupported beneath the disk to receive polishing liquid thrown oir ofsaid disk, a splash ring above the disk, a work holder in operativerelation to said disk, a motor for rotating the disk, a second motor forrotating the work holder and a blower operated from said second motor toagitate the said polishing liquid before it reaches the said disk.

2. A polishing machine including a framework, a table top thereon havingan opening, a polishing disk, a main shaft for detachably supporting thedisk within said opening, a work holder, a motor for rotating the same,driving connections between the motor and the work holder, supportingmeans enclosing said driving connections, and capable of being movedvertically and horizontally to place the work holder into and out ofoperative relation to the polishing disk without disconnecting the workholder from the said motor and a second motor for rotating the said mainshaft.

3. A polishing machine comprising a framework, a table top thereonhaving an opening, a polishing disk, means for supporting the samewithin the said opening, a work holder, a hollow casing supporting saidwork holder in vertically movable and laterally swingable relation tothe polishing disk, electromagnetic means for keeping the work in saidwork holder in frictional polishing relation to said disk, a vesselcontaining polishing liquid mounted above said table top, a cover forcovering the said work holder and disk during the polishing operation,means attached to said cover and vessel for supplying polishing liquidto the polishing disk, means for draining the liquid thrown off from thedisk during the polishing operation, means for agitating the polishingliquid in said vessel, a motor for rotating said polishing disk, asecond motor and driving connections between the latter and the workholder contained within the said hollow casing.

4. A polishing machine comprising a framework, a table tcp thereonhaving an opening, a polishing disk, means for supporting the samewithin the said opening, a work holder, a. hollow casing supporting saidwork holder in vertically movable and laterally swingable relation tothe polishing disk, electromagnetic means for keeping the work in saidWork holder in frictional polishing relation to said disk, a vesselcontaining polishing liquid mounted above said table top,

a cover for covering the said work holder and disk during the polishingoperation, means attached to said cover and vessel for supplyingpolishing liquid to the polishing disk, means for draining the liquidthrown oi from the disk during the polishing operation, means foragitating the polishing liquid in said vessel, a motor for rotating saidpolishing disk, means for supporting the motor in speed variablerelation to the said disk, a handle for actuating the said motorsupporting means, a speed indicator for said motor and a second motorfor rotating the work holder and operating said agitating means.

5. The combination of a movable work holder, a polishing disk, anelectromagnet supported underneath said disk in operative relation tothe work holder, an electric motor for rotating the work holder, drivingconnections between the latter and the said motor, a swingably supportedhousing enclosing said driving connection-s for placing the work holderinto and out of operative relation to the polishing disk and theelectromagnet, a second motor for rotating the polishing disk, anelectric circuit including the said two motors and the electromagnet, aswitch in said circuit for closing the circuit through one of the motorsand the electromagnet and another switch for closing the circuit throughthe other motor. y

FRIEDRICH SCHENK.

